Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 58321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 233(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 233(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
“Oh.” She absently combs her fingers through her windswept hair. “It’s training. One of the first things I learned as a kid was to not make a noise when I’m scared. Silence is a prey instinct that humans don’t have for some reason. Too often we scream and bring the predator right to us. My family was invested in ensuring that I didn’t get myself or anyone else killed.”
Because they save people. I don’t know if that’s the full explanation for her knowledge and instincts. Saving people sounds like a virtuous activity. I can’t imagine how one trains a child not to make a sound when they’re afraid. I glance at her face, but her expression and her energy invite no further questions on the subject.
That’s okay. I may not be good at dodging the dark things that plague my steps, but I can try. Right now. For her.
I turn to the keep. It appears much the same as it did the last time I was here a few weeks ago. Weathered gray stone that looks downright immortal, the building carved right into the side of the mountain. The only true sign of decay is the tower that has crumbled to nothing, beaten down by the winds that howl through this ravine.
Grace whistles softly. “I can see why this place is a test of bravery. It’s creepy as shit.”
“There are no ghosts here.” At least not ones she would recognize. I’m young for my people, barely forty, so I was born well after we descended from the heights and built the castle that I live in now. My father used to talk about this place fondly when I was younger, some of the few times he seemed like someone I could understand. I can’t see it the way he saw it. Supposedly this is a happy place. But when war came, it was too isolated to properly defend. It might have been okay if our main opponents in that conflict were the dragons or the kraken, but the succubi and incubi can fly. It only took one devastating attack before there was a call for a change in location. My grandparents headed it, and as a leader, I absolutely understand why they did.
But, as I stand here beside Grace, listening to the wind howl and scream, I feel significantly more at peace than I ever am in the castle in the lower reaches.
Grace turns to me with a mischievous look in her eyes. “Can I see the wine cellar? I could use some good luck.”
“It’s a superstition, not a fact.”
“Come on, Bram.” She turns around to face me as she walks backward toward the door. “You’re a magic man with wings, horns, and the ability to see auras. You, more than anyone, should be willing to believe in magic.”
I follow her as if she wrapped a string around my heart and tugged. I haven’t known this woman long, but this is the side of her that I never expected. It’s almost playful, with a reckless edge that I recognize all too well. If I don’t accompany her, she’ll still go down to the basement and she might hurt herself along the way. “We can go, but you have to promise to be careful.”
“Absolutely not. Where’s the fun in that?” She grins. “But if it’s going to stress you out, I suppose you can lead the way. “
The castle may be made of stone, but it wasn’t built to be accessible to those without wings. There are stairs and ways to get around without flying, but they’re tucked out of the main hallways. This is one of the biggest changes that was made to the design for the castle I live in now. A welcome one, honestly. It’s ridiculous to require someone with a wing injury or disability—or wingless guests—to go so far out of the way. I’m glad it’s no longer an issue.
But it gives me the excuse to launch forward and scoop Grace into my arms again. I enjoy her snarl of faux outrage. “No stairs. We’ll take the fast way.”
“The—” She lets out a little yip as I step through the door and right off the ledge into the air shaft below.
I like that sound. I like it even more now because I know she’s not actually scared. We descend in a lazy spiral, finally coming to land three floors below. This time, I’m slower to set Grace on her feet. “Be careful. Some of the ceiling has started to collapse in certain areas.”
She turns a slow circle, taking everything in with her gray eyes that see far too much. “This place is remarkably well-preserved. I’m surprised you bother to do sweeps of it. People can be fools, but I would think most of them could navigate this space without too much trouble.”